One Week!

I can't believe it! We are leaving in one week. One week from this moment I will be on a plane bound for Seattle. I can't wait! I don't have anything else to say. I just wanted to check in.

Ashley's Photo

Here is a picture that is from Ashley's photos. She has public alblums on Picassa. I think I will set up an account there and put the link on my blog home page. Then we can download our pictures every day on our trip and you can see them. I will ask Ashley if I can post the link for her photos here. There are some great photos and you can really get a feel for Alaska's inner passage and, more specifically, Skagway.

Two Weeks and counting down!

Rick and I are really excited! We are making lists and considering all the excursion options. We have a file full of maps, reservations and notes. I ordered a new suitcase and our ride to the airport has been secured. We are ready to go and excited does not begin to cover it.

For me, the next two weeks are going to fly by. Before you know it, the trip will be over, I will be back home and the new memories will have a spot on my Hall of Fame list of favorite vacations. The photos will be e-mailed to everyone I know, this blog will be full of our adventures and musings and life will go on as before. Except my memories will be a little fuller and, for at least a little while, there might be a little extra spring in my step.

It's all part of the anticipation....

New Links

I have added a few new links over the last couple of days. The first is the Skagway webcam. Rick and I are addicted! This morning we have watched 3 cruise ships come in to the harbor. Yesterday Ashley sat at the picnic table behind the caboose so we could see her. Too cool. I also added a link to the cruise ship schedule. It shows how many cruise ships are in town on any given day and also the number of total people on the ships. The town of Skagway has a winter population of a little over 800 but in the summer there can be over 10,000 additional people in town from the cruise ships. We are thinking that we will plan on taking tours out of town on the days with the most cruise ship traffic.

Three weeks and counting down

Planning a trip is as much fun as the trip itself. What if you woke up one day and your spouse said to you, "pack your bags, I have tickets to Tahiti, we leave in two hours". I would not say no but I would miss the anticipation. The planning and decision-making create an environment of increasingly delicious anticipation . Which hotel would be best? Which excursions should we take? How much free time is too much? Should we hike or take the train? Do we need a rental car? Each decision brings us closer to the big event until finally, when I think I am going to bust, the big day arrives. The planning and anticipation are replaced with the reality of the experience. The build-up is always worth the trip.

Do you agree?

Photo Test

This is a test, I wanted to try a post with a photo. My husband Rick is on the left, followed by my daughter, Ashley, my mother-in-law Lee, me (Melanie) and my son Andy. Ashley graduated with her degree in religious studies. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful graduation ceremony.

It was a great Mom moment.

In the Beginning......

In February, our daughter Ashley decided to accept a job in Skagway working for a tourist company. We live in upstate New York so Alaska sounds very exotic and it is the epitome of far, far, away. It sounded like a great adventure. We were excited for her and we almost immediately decided that we would visit her.

We read everything we could find about Alaska; tour books, National Geographic books, fiction, you name it. We decided to make our trip early in the season, June 7-16th, 2007. Our flights and hotels were booked in short order. It will take four flights to get to our final destination. Albany NY to Detroit, Detroit to Seattle, Seattle to Juneau and finally Juneau to Skagway. When I booked the last flight from Juneau to Skagway, I had to tell them how much we each weigh. I love to fly on small planes so I am not apprehensive about that, but I really didn't want to tell them how much I weigh. So, I added 40 pounds to Rick's weight and subtracted 40 pounds from my weight. (Just kidding! I was honest!)

We continue to research and make plans. Ashley left for the great Northwest last Monday and she is having a blast! She flew into Juneau, spent a couple of days and then took a 2 1/2 hour ferry ride to Skagway. She met a few people on the ferry that are also working in Skagway for the summer.

I am planning to write in this blog once a week or so between now and June 7. I hope to write each evening while on our trip. I don't know much about blogging or web sites but I am hoping I can add photos.

Stay tuned!!!